This is why I never stay at Element hotels. I'd much rather stay at a Ritz Carlton and pay $18 for fresh steel cut oats with a spoonful of brown sugar and a handful of blueberries.

I agree entirely with you, the fresh steel cut oats and fresh blueberries at The Ritz-Carlton, are exceptional, as is The Ritz-Carlton's legendary service, and ambiance. In my experience, the St. Regis, Four Seasons, and Mandarin Oriental charge similar prices to The Ritz-Carlton, for their goods and services (typical of "luxury tier" hotels or resorts), But, I don't wink an eye at paying a "luxury hotel company's" fees, rates, and charges, on the rare occasion that we are in pursuit of the "luxury ambiance" of a luxury hotel, luxury "service," and a luxury "experience." I equate whatever The Ritz-Carlton's charge is for oatmeal to the standard $5.00 bar or other food and beverage outlet charge for a can of Pepsi; the can of Pepsi is hardly worth $5.00, but the "luxury experience" and "luxury service" is something that people in pursuit of that experience are willing to pay for. I'd speculate that those who are going to look at the price point of specific goods and services, that they derive at a luxury hotel or resort, are not going to have a "luxury experience," and are probably staying at the wrong hotel or resort.

Back to instant oatmeal at the Element Hotels, in my opinion the Element Hotels set the standard for which their performance is judged, in their marketing and branding. If, in my opinion, Element Hotels are not going to deliver on their marketing and branding mantra, they should change their mantra to reflect who they truly are.

BUT, given the recent news of the data breach at Starwood Hotels, I'd say that instant oatmeal is a flake in comparison to the magnitude and personal and corporate implications of Starwood's data breach.